Taking on the Tetralogy with six musicians and a name like The Ambulant Piano… Can you possibly be serious? Reducing fourteen hours of music to one hour, going from an orchestra of 100 musicians to a small patchwork ensemble, omitting the singing, the costumes, the scenery, and the stage… whose crazy idea was that?
Our company loves a challenge, which we have proven on many occasions. Limitations give rise to strong structural choices, and lead to original approaches to the works, which in turn fosters a spirit of creativity. The following quote by composer and transcriber Hans Zender could be our motto: “A notated score is, first and foremost, an invitation to action, and not necessarily an exact depiction of sounds. It takes creative effort on the part of the interpreter (…) for a performance to be truly lively and exciting. Something essential is conveyed by the interpreter of the work: he becomes a co-author.”
Our transcription philosophy is based simultaneously on respect for the text, and a great freedom in the means of achieving a respectful treatment. In practice, this means that we include all the notes written by the composer, but we do not hesitate, if necessary, to replace eight horns by two harmonicas. Expressive meaning always guides our transcriptions, as well as timbral inventiveness, arousing the listener’s surprise and, ultimately: freedom.
With the transcription of The Ring’s titanic score, we made the radical choice of dramatically altering the original orchestration. Bass guitar and sound processing, imported from the world of electronic music, contribute an earthy power, the Indian organ brings enchantment, and the chamber music instrumentation adds the intimacy and tenderness of the Wagnerian drama.
Hearing a work in a new transcription is a bit like finding a loved one in a new clothes: we recognize them immediately, but at the same time we’re surprised: “I didn’t think it was possible!” If the process is successful, the new perspective gains in affection and in fecundity.